Cynyr’s Techdirt Comments

Re: Re:

Not always, maybe the rest of the device will be value engineered to make up the difference. I'm sure most of the low hanging fruit is long been picked, but save a few pennies here and there and it'll add up some.

Also Apples prices have never seemed to reflect any sort of consistent margin on the hardware, so it is possible that they like the devices pricing for some other reason and are willing to accept a smaller margin.

Re: Re: Re:

we could still have a trial with a jury, even if it wasn't a jury of randomly selection people. How about software patent cases should have a jury of 12 random professional programmers in the same space as the patent covers. So for example, 12 consumer device software programmers in this case for the software patents and 12 different jurors for the physical design patents, those that work in the mechanical design of portable consumer devices.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

from what i have read neither party is violating the contract (not that any of us have a copy of that). If the contract is written to allow DF to block all activity by UMG then they are within the contract (strictly speaking). They may not be honoring the spirit of that clause, as it may have been put there more for things like UMG wanting to license it to a group of nutters that are trying to take over the world and enslave the rest of us to use as their theme song, but hey if the contract doesn't specify conditions under which that clause can be used seems like it would be fair game to me.

Re: Re: Re:

If there was a clause that "the copyright could not be transfered and it had to be the position of the flesh and blood person or persons who did the creating. The only allowed transferal of a right shall be the right to distribution and shall not be forcibly exclusive to the party granted that right and for a period of no more than 3 years between renewals". It would probably help out the artists, they could still by gentleman's agreement allow exclusive distribution, but if something new or better comes along they could extend distribution rights to that new something.

Re: Eavesdropping?

not only that but if they are listining in, don't they lose common carrier protections? and are therefore liable for the content on thier networks, things like thepiratbay.org/infringed_on_movies/. etc?

Re: TV Analyst Fail

actually my kids (4 and 6) know they each get 2 short shows or 1 long one in the morning. They turn the tv on (after asking) and the PS3, and fire up netflix and pick a show from the "just for kids" part. There has been a lot of spider man, some sort of super hero show involving wolverine, thor, and some others, and bay blades on recently.

Anyways, they do know what commercials are, they are the point in the show to get up and ask for more water or go to the bathroom etc.

those who are missing from the discussion

Amazon and the public.

Lars near the end mentions that Richard is excluding those that could help him. I couldn't agree more. Where is Amazon and other people capable of building new distribution methods and whole new markets for the published works that his publishers are trying to hock. What the public would like is also not a concern of Richards. Maybe that is why he is having such a difficulty understanding where Mike and Lars are coming from.

I find it odd that the legislative system in the UK would require the government to do a impact study. I would think the first thing the government would do is require those affected to show that they are a significant part of the economy. At which point if they were a significant part then a impact study would be done. The thing the study should look at is not if it would impact any particular industry/players, but if the overall expected change would be positive then the law would be a go.

Also this should apply to any extension of copyright law, which I notice Richard never mentions when he discussing new laws for e-books. How will his new laws affect those that want to build systems to allow people to lend e-books to each other, or new devices to read e-books, etc.

Re: What I wish Mike had said first:

Actully, you didn't write the transport part correctly. It should have read "You may only transport this book by horse and carriage provided that you use nor more than two horses at once, and no more than 4 on the journey" So now a book written just before the automobile by an author of 17 is likely prohibited to be transported on that new fangled car that comes out a few years later.

Re:

Android closed?

I'm running cyanogenmod-7 on my phone. I can checkout the full sources from git if i felt like it. I'm free to extend/modify/etc to my hearts content. My phone will load any valid APK I want it to, regardless if google/my carrier/my handset vendor wants me to or not. Anyways, in that respect I would say it is open. It isn't open like RMS would like, but then even my desktop (running gentoo linux) doesn't. I have the nvidia driver installed, and skype.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Society is Ripe For A Revolution

lol, hit #2 on my non-personalized results is my linked-in profile, of course that is the only hit for me on the first page, although there is a facebook profile that is me of a guy at a party with the same name.